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Written Statements

Tuesday 30 March 2010

Armed Forces Compensation Scheme

Statement

The Minister for International Defence and Security (Baroness Taylor of Bolton): My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Kevan Jones) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

The Government committed to implementing in full all the recommendations arising from the review of the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme when it was published on 10 February 2010. As the review acknowledged, considerable detailed work is required to translate the review's high level recommendations in to legislation. An important first step is the formation of the proposed independent medical expert group, which I am establishing on an interim basis today in order to meet the timescales envisaged by the review. The terms of reference, structure and membership of this interim medical expert group which will advise on armed forces compensation is set out below.

Terms of Reference

The interim Independent Medical Group is established as a result of the AFCS Review (Cm 7798) published on 10 February 2010. Its role primarily is to advise on the appropriate levels of compensation for all the specific injuries, illnesses and diseases highlighted in the AFCS review as being areas of concern, in time to be included in the consultation in autumn 2010 leading to the legislation planned for early 2011 to implement the review.

In addition, the interim group will also, as appropriate:

provide initial advice on the list of recognised diseases that, on the balance of probabilities, are predominantly caused by service in the Armed Forces since 6 April 2005;provide initial advice on those injuries, illnesses or diseases that might be made worse by service during the first six months of service that are currently excluded from the scheme. This advice will need to distinguish between those injuries, illnesses or diseases that might simply be triggered by service, but are not caused by service (perhaps such as asthma which might only become apparent during initial training);advise on the definitive structure and membership of the group, beyond the transitional group which would only be in existence for around 12 months; andadvise on any other medical matters in relation to the Armed Forces compensation schemes that the Minister for Veterans requests it to provide.

Membership

The chairman and expert members of this interim group will comprise senior licensed consultants drawn from the relevant specialties, including: trauma/orthopaedics, neurology, ear/nose/throat, occupational

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medicine, and mental health. The MoD's Senior Medical Adviser to the Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Personnel) will also be a member of the group. Three lay members will also be appointed to the group: one from service/ex-service organisations on the statutorily established Central Advisory Committee on Pensions and Compensation (CAC), one from the in-service representatives on the CAC, and an injured serving person who has claimed under the scheme. The group will be able to draw on other expert advice where required.

The chairman of the group will be a member of the CAC that advises the Minister for Veterans, and the chairman would present the advice of the group to the Minister as a member of the CAC. The advice and the Government's decisions in relation to it would be published together at the same time on the MoD's website.

The following individuals have been appointed to form this interim group:

Chairman: Professor Sir Anthony Newman Taylor CBE, FRCP, FFOM, FMedSci;Expert Members: Professor David Alexander MA(Hons) C.Psychol PhD FBPS FRSM(Hon) FRCPsych; Professor Linda Luxon FRCP; Dr John Scadding MD FRCP; Dr David Snashall MSc FRCP FFOM LLM; Professor James Ryan OStJ, MB, BCh, BAO (NUI), FRCS (Eng), MCh (NUI), Hon FCEM, DMCC(SoA), RAMC(V); MoD's Senior Medical Adviser to the Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Personnel): Dr Anne Braidwood CBE MRCP MRCGP; andLay Members: Lt Col Jerome Church MBE, general- secretary, British Limbless Ex-Service Men's Association, member of the CAC, representing the Confederation of British Service and Ex-Service Organisations; Col Robin Vickers, Army Pay Colonel, representing the three single service members on the CAC; and, Col David Richmond, a serving member of the Armed Forces who suffered an AK47 bullet wound that shattered his femur in Afghanistan in June 2008, who was injured when commanding officer 5SCOTS.

Mode of working

The group itself will not be expected to create its advice from first principles. Instead, the MoD would investigate issues and draw up evidence-based proposals for the group to consider and either validate or advise, support or challenge in the same way that the MoD conducted the work of the AFCS review and used the independent scrutiny group to validate this work. The MoD will provide secretariat support to the group.

The group will meet as and when required, perhaps four to six times during its existence. Between meetings business will be conducted via correspondence. Some meetings may be conducted virtually via video or telephone conferencing.

Terms of Appointment

The chairman and members of this interim independent medical group to advise on Armed Forces compensation will be appointed until February 2011.

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The roles will not be remunerated, but the MoD will reimburse reasonable travel and subsistence expenses. The chairman and members will be expected to follow the seven principles of public life enunciated by the Nolan Committee.

Buying Solutions: Targets

Statement

The Financial Services Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Myners): My honourable friend the Economic Secretary has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

Buying Solutions has been set for four performance targets for 2010-11. These are as follows:

to facilitate at least £1,000 million value-for-money improvements (£800 million cashable) for the public sector in 2010-11;to achieve an overall customer satisfaction level of above 90 per cent;to make a return on capital employed of 6.5 per cent over a five-year period (April 2009 to March 2014); andto reduce by 5 per cent the ratio of internal costs over value for money improvements with the outturn for the same ratio in 2009-10 proportionate to cashable savings.

Coastal Change

Statement

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Davies of Oldham): My right honourable friend the Secretary of State (Hilary Benn) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

I am today publishing Adapting to Coastal Change: Developing a Policy Framework, which takes forward some of the ideas on supporting community adaptation to coastal change that we consulted on last summer. The work of the coastal change pathfinders that I announced on 1 December 2009 is part of this work.

Adapting to Coastal Change: Developing a PolicyFramework sets out ideas and guidance on how communities can plan for coastal change as well as looking at what managing change might mean for business, local infrastructure and our historic and natural environment. In doing so, it draws on examples of best practice, including the pathfinders which are looking at new approaches. It also confirms the introduction of a new coastal erosion assistance grant. This is a fixed grant of £6,000 available to local authorities to help homeowners with the costs of demolishing a home at risk of loss to coastal erosion and some basic moving costs.

Adapting to Coastal Change, together with a report summarising responses to last summer's Coastal Change Policy consultation and new guidance on "Community Adaptation Planning and Engagement", will be published on the Defra website today.

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Consular Fees

Statement

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead): My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Chris Bryant) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has recently undertaken a review of the fees charged for visa and consular services, both in the UK and overseas. On 10 February 2010, Her Majesty in Council approved the Consular Fees Order 2010. This revokes and replaces the Consular Fees Order 2009. The Government are today announcing changes to the consular fees to be charged under this order with effect from 6 April 2010.

Fees for passport applications made in the United Kingdom remain at current levels whereas the fees for passport applications made abroad including applications for temporary and emergency passports and the new emergency travel documents have increased by 2.90 per cent, which is the current rate of inflation.

The fees for legalisation services have also increased in line with inflation.

Fees for receiving applications for entry clearance to Commonwealth countries, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies continue to be charged in the order and have increased since last year. These fees are "Home Office fees" and are approved by the Home Office Minister but are still contained within the Consular Fees Order.

Other consular fees, representing a range of services performed at posts abroad, are also set to increase by 2.90 per cent.

It is right that those who benefit from consular services should meet the cost of them, rather than the UK taxpayer. The new fees represent the full economic cost of what we do, and will ensure that British missions continue to provide a high standard of service to consular customers.

The new fees are included in the attached table.

PART I-LEGALISATION	£
1. Legalising a signature or seal except where-
(a) the signature or seal is on a certificate or survey of foreign passenger ships running to or from the United Kingdom, or
(b) the signature or seal is on a document needed to pay money into or withdraw money from any British Post Office or other Government Savings Bank, or
(c) the signature or seal is in connection with stocks or bonds on the registers of the Post Office, with Savings Bank annuities or with annuities granted direct by the National Debt Commissioners-
(i) Standard service, unless fee 1(ii) applies (in addition to direct costs if any)	28.80
(ii) Standard service where the request for the service is made outside of the United Kingdom but processing is carried out in whole or in part within the United Kingdom (in addition to direct costs if any)	38.00
(iii) Premium service (in addition to direct costs if any)	71
2. Obtaining a legalisation or other certification from another authority upon any document (in addition to direct costs if any)	46.30

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PART II-NOTARIAL AND RELATED MATTERS	£
3. Preparing any certificate, declaration or document not listed elsewhere in this Schedule -
(a) in English	46.30
(b) in any other language	73.00
4. Preparing or signing, or both, a declaration of existence-Except in connection with pay or pensions payable by a department of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom, or the Government of any other Commonwealth country	17.40
5. Administering an oath or attesting the signature on a declaration or affirmation except where - (a) the oath, declaration or affirmation is made under the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 or in connection with the loss of a passport (b) fee 16, 17, 18, 29, 30, 31, 34, 40, 45, or 46 is to be taken	54.50
6. Supplying witnesses, for each witness	21.60
7. Initialling alterations in any document that has not been prepared by the consular officer or marking exhibits, for each initialling or marking	11.30
8. Making a copy of a document by electronic means or verifying a copy of a document (including certifying when necessary), for each page (with a minimum charge of £25.50)	5.10
9. Uniting documents and sealing the fastening (except where fee 46 is applicable)	21.60
10. Fixing a photograph to a document that has not been prepared by the consular officer, and, if necessary, certifying it as a true likeness of the photograph subject (except where fee 16,17, or 18 is applicable)	21.60
11. Supplying certified copies of documents which form part of the records of a court which is, or was formerly, established under the Foreign Jurisdiction Acts 1890 and 1913, for each page	64.80
12. Making or verifying (including certifying if necessary) a written translation, for every 100 words or characters written in the foreign language (except where fee 33, 34 or 48 is to be taken)-
(a) from or into Amharic, Chinese, Japanese or Korean (three Japanese Kana count as one character when used independently)	73.00
(b) from or into any other language	46.30
13. Translating and interpreting viva voce except in performance of official duties, for every 15 minutes	32.90

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PART III-PASSPORT APPLICATIONS MADE TO THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE	£
14. Administering an application made abroad, including applications for replacing an expired passport, replacing a passport of restricted validity with a new passport of full validity, issuing a new passport with amended personal details and replacing a lost or stolen passport and, if the application is successful, providing a 32 page passport-
(a) where the applicant is aged 16 years or over (in addition to direct costs if any)	128.00
(b) where the applicant is under 16 years old (for a passport valid for 5 years) (in addition to direct costs if any)	81.50
15. Administering an application made abroad, including applications for replacing an expired passport, replacing a passport of restricted validity with a new passport of full validity, issuing a new passport with amended personal details and replacing a lost or stolen passport and, if the application is successful, providing a 48 page passport (in addition to direct costs if any)	154.40
16. Administering an application made abroad and, if the application is successful, providing an Emergency Passport	71.00
17. Administering an application made abroad and, if the application is successful, providing a Temporary Passport valid for not more than one year	91.50
18. Administering an application made abroad and, if the application is successful, providing an Emergency Travel Document	91.50

PART IV-PASSPORT APPLICATIONS MADE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM	£
19. Administering an application made in the United Kingdom, including applications for replacing an expired passport, replacing a passport of restricted validity with a new passport of full validity, issuing a new passport with amended personal details and replacing a lost or stolen passport and, if the application is successful, issuing a 32 page passport-
(a) for applications made by post-
(i) where the applicant is aged 16 years and over	77.50
(ii) where the applicant is under 16 years old (for a passport valid for 5 years)	49.00
(b) for applications made in person
(i) where the applicant is aged 16 years or over using the fast-track service	112.50
(ii) where the applicant is under 16 years old (for a passport valid for 5 years) using the fast-track service	96.50
(iii) where the applicant is aged 16 years or over using the fast-track collect service	124.50
(iv) where the applicant is under 16 years old (for a passport valid for 5 years) using the fast-track collect service	106.50
(v) where the applicant is aged 16 years or over using the premium service
(vi) where the applicant is under 16 years old (for a passport valid for 5 years) using the premium service	109.50
20. Administering an application made in the United Kingdom, including applications for replacing an expired passport, replacing a passport of restricted validity with a new passport of full validity, issuing a new passport with amended personal details and replacing a lost and stolen passport and, if the application is successful, issuing a 48 page passport-
(a) for applications made by post	90.50
(b) for applications made in person-
(i) using the fast-track service	120.50
(ii) using the fast-track collect service	124.50
(iii) using the premium service	138.50
21. Administering an application made in the United Kingdom and, if the application is successful, issuing a collective passport-
(a) for applications made by post	39.00
(b) for applications made in person	54.00

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